Rising Stars: Meet Tyler Richards

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Richards.

Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I will start by saying I am 22 years old, and I go by the name TY2R. Inspired by my full name Tyler R. Richards. I grew up in Akron, Ohio, and am a proud father to my son Jasper. Music has been my passion since I was very little, and I always wanted to write and make music, just wasn’t exactly sure where to start.

I’ve been a music enthusiast since a young age, constantly seeking out new music and expanding my musical taste since I could work a desktop on my own. I fell in love with rock n roll, and the more lyrical side of hip-hop. As I got older I started taking writing seriously and decided to become an artist rather than just a consumer. I focused on writing every day for a few years, and in 2020 I finished writing The Science Lab EP.

Due to no money, no resources, and the amazing discovery that my girlfriend Kiera and I had a child due in November of that same year, I shelved the project to focus on my family. Now in 2022, I was able to take the time (still with little to no resources) and finally record the EP I finished 2 years prior. Now I have a couple of connections, writing every single day, and finding that balance of fatherhood and my other personal goals.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say it’s still a rough road currently. Being completely independent has its perks, but it’s been tough to get my feet off the ground. As I keep putting myself out there and grinding daily, I continue to see results. But it’s tough to work every day, be a father, write lyrics, put songs together, and then also self-promote. You have to work to find a steady balance and be patient, nothing is easy, especially starting up a career in music.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write music and create hip-hop songs, and projects, as of now. I also make all my artwork, so you could say I dabble in editing. If I was to point out what I felt was my specialty, I would probably say my lyrical capability and wordplay. And I would like to think others who like my music would say the same. I try to stick true to what I know about hip-hop culture, sticking to a more classic late 90s style and sound with my twist on it.

I also am very big on writing, I take pride in being a songwriter as well as a music artist. I write everything I think of, whether on receipts or one of my notepads, I think it’s important in the development of songs, writing, etc. I would say I am truthfully most proud of my second EP, which has yet to be released, I am waiting until next year to drop that so stay tuned! As I touched on before, I wrote The Science Lab in 2020 so I have a lot ready to go in the rhyme books.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
That’s a tough one. I was really big on skateboarding, and I have a lot of great times and memories with that group of guys. And I also spent a lot of time playing and watching basketball, I grew up being a huge Dwyane Wade fan, so being from Akron you can only imagine my reaction when they teamed up (unlike the rest of Akron).

But for pre-high school and beyond memories, being with my buddies from that time may have been the most important. We created a club called Club Coca-Cola, where we embraced our favorite soda and kinda made this little clique where we felt untouchable. It sounds cheesy, but those guys truly taught me it was okay to be myself, chase my goals, and not care what anyone thinks.

Anthony, Roland, and Jacob- they all three are to thank for helping make me the man I have become, and I think their friendship, may just be my favorite childhood memory. As for everything after those childhood years, check out my music on all platforms! Got a lot of stories to tell and a lot of great music lined up for any music enthusiast or hip-hop fan!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ty2r330?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/a2rfK2YsdHUVSNFPA